


You've Done It, You're a Freakshow.

by soloisben



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Heartbreak, Mental Breakdown, mindcontrol, phycological break
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2018-10-14 20:32:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soloisben/pseuds/soloisben
Summary: What if Freakshow had found a way to keep Danny under his control?A never ending brain wash.The things he could get that naive ghost boy to do for him,the possibilities would be endless for a guy like Freakshow.-It's up to Sam to figure and fight her way through to Danny at this point.He hasn't had a sweeter spot than the place in his heart that he keeps reserved just for her.





	1. Family Full of Freaks.

**Author's Note:**

> this is perhaps, my own version of the first time Freakshow decided to show his face in Amity Park. Bare with me, some parts are very much alike to the show, but there are parts in between that will be different and deeper than what the show wouldn't get into; most of the original content will come in and after chapter five.  
> You sort of have to get through the old content to get to the new content *wink wonk*  
> -  
> Also, the idea/plot used to start the story off, definitely isn't mine. I own NONE of the characters of Danny Phantom.  
> So, please, don't sue me!  
> -  
> Feel free to leave comments/feedback in the comment section, please!

"Will you quit messing with my parents? That's my job!" Sam crosses her arms firmly over her chest.

Danny blinks once, then twice. "What? Um...sorry Sam. Musta got a little spacey." Danny lifts a hand to rub his head. "I was up pretty late."

"Just watch what you say around them, they already think I'm on the road to troubled teen hood." Sam chatters as she walks past Danny.

"Where are you going?" He pauses. "Schools this way." Danny throws his thumb behind him, signaling that school was the complete opposite direction from where Sam was headed.

"The Circus Gothica train pulled into town last night, I'm cutting first period to watch the opening ceremony at the train station." Sam boasted.

"Sam..." And something about this whole situation left Danny with a bad feeling. Not only did the "gothic" circus scream it, but the fact that Sam was going to cut class for it only rang detention and time with lancer that they didn't need at all.

"Take it easy, Tucker's got first period free, he's covering for me." Sam turns back to Danny, hoping that she's reassured him. With a wave of her hand, she runs off toward the Train Station.

Danny heaves a long sigh. "Fine! but don't blame me if you get caught!" he yells after her, but in that same instance his ghost sense goes off and he thinks; '...Really?...'

Danny looks around for any sign of a ghost and catches a glimpse of the dwarf he's seen earlier in the week running along with a heavy bag of what seemed like money.

"And speaking of getting caught." Danny knew that with that dwarf ghost, came three others, and just as he looked up at the sky, there they were...carrying the same type of bags the dwarf was. "I'm goin' ghost!"

When Danny's fully transformed, he takes a running start and leaps onto a trash can to give him leverage to an oncoming truck. He runs the full length of the truck before he takes a leap into the air to chase after his enemies. He isn't far behind them when a cop car races in behind them.

"Hey! Are you opening up a new bank account?!Don't forget your free toaster!" Danny holds out his arm and fires his ecto blast which quickly knocks the money sack out of the dwarfs hand. Unfortunately for him, the sack falls flat onto the hood of the cop car, sending him in a whirl, straight toward a fire hydrant.

"Curse you ghost kid!" The cop yells out of his window as he struggles to remove himself from the cruiser.

"Oh, great. More fans." Danny silently curses at himself. No matter the time or place, he always manages to mess up his image more and more with the authorities of Amity Park.

With the cop pushed to the back of his mind, Danny continues to chase his foes across town; they phase through a Circus Gothica billboard which attracts Danny's full attention for a few seconds. He becomes hypnotized by the image of Freakshow's orb. With a shake of his head, Danny phases through the billboard to find himself at the opening ceremony of Circus Gothica. Tents and Equipment are already littered the area, and there are a wide range of goth kids everywhere. Danny could not believe his eyes.

"terrific. the crooks got away, I'm late for school, and I've never seen so many goths out in broad daylight!" Danny gawks.

"Well look who decided to slum it with the troubled teens." Sam, who'd spotted Danny as soon as he phased through the billboard, called out.

Danny lets himself float down to the ground once he connects sam's voice with her being. "What? I'm not in trouble."

At the sound of incoming sirens, Danny tenses.

"Oh yeah. you're an upstanding citizens. Need to hide from the law?"

Danny goes invisible with a reluctant, "no!" As he hides behind several iron drums and de-ghosts. when he walks out from behind the drums he stands by Sam's side and nonchalantly whistle together until the cops walk past them.

"COME BACK HERE INVISO-BILL!" the cop yells.

At the sound of a train car opening, the pair of delinquents turn to see the dark drop-down ramp and freak show walking out in slow steps from the shadows of the train car.

They manage to make their way closer to hear what he has to say.

"Greetings Fellow outcasts. I am Freakshow, your master of ceremonies. Are you ready to smile, relax, and forget all your troubles amid the pleasant diversions of the circus?"

"NO!" Various goths reply in unison.

Freakshow makes his way further through the crowd. "Then you've come to the right place! Prepare to be disturbed and appalled by a small sample of the bizarre and abnormal world of Circus Gothica." Freakshow holds a hand out, in a gesture to the train car he had just stepped out of.

An arrow tied to a rope launches out from the shadows of the train car and embeds itself into a nearby pole. For a second, everybody in the crowd goes silent, craving to see what the train car holds. Not a second later, a woman emerges, crawling along the rope like an insect. Everybody gasps in amazement. Next, a man balancing on a ball and juggling skulls rolls out of the shadows. A heavily pierced woman within an iron, spike wheel follows, and lastly, and incredibly tall an in a skeleton suit emerges at last. the goths are yelling their heads off with all the excitement of the carnie's. Danny's gaze lands back on Freakshows staff and in a split second, becomes mesmerized yet again.

"this is the greatest moment ever. Nothing could ruin this for me!" Sam exclaims.

"Parents of Amity Park!" All of the goths turn their attention to the ear ripping voice coming from the megaphone several yards away. Behind the idiots with the megaphone stood to hundreds of protesting parents.

Sam has a hard time hearing what they're saying with the "boo's" happening around her, but she doesn't fail to identify her parents at the head of the protest.

"What are they doing here?! Why can' they have day-jobs like regular parents?" She hisses.

Freakshow hops onto a crate above the crowd. "Don't let the rankings of the closed-minded norms beat you down Show them your true colors! And when I say "colors", I mean "all black". Make them see you for who you are."

"Make them see us for who we are...?" Danny murmurs and the shade of his orbs turn a hazy red. "Hey everyone!" Danny flails his arms around. "Over here! We're Danny Fenton and Sam Manson! We cut school to be here and we're proud!" He yells at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of more than just the crowd of parents

Freakshow eyed the half-ghost with interest from where he stood. Around him, the goths cheer at Danny's confession.One boy in particular, spray paints Danny's shirt black.

"you're one of us now." The goth boy presents him with a small smile.

"S-Sam?" Mrs. Manson marches up to her daughter.Sam brings her hands up to her face as she holds it firmly. Boy, was she in for it.


	2. Welcome to The Freakshow, Freak.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is worried about Danny more than she should be.  
> And Danny's conscious is finally being over taken by Freakshow.

“We’re going to wait five more minutes for you parents to get here Daniel.” Principal Ishiyama took a seat at her desk, clasping her hands together as the silence ensured.

 

“What on earth were you thinking Samantha?” Mrs. Manson looked at sam with narrowed eyes. “I certainly didn’t raise you like this at all!”

 

“WHAT DID JAZZ DO NOW?” Jack yells, stomping his way into the office, loudly.

 

“Oh, great. The Fentons. Mr. Fenton, this is regarding your _son_. Daniel.” Mrs. Ishiyama gestures to Danny.

 

“Danny?” Maddie frowns as she walks into the room. “What about Danny?”

 

“Have a seat Mrs. Fenton.” Mrs. Ishiyama cleared her throat. “Your son and Ms. Manson skipped class this morning to attend the opening ceremony of Circus Gothica.”

 

“Circus Gothica? Now, who on earth would name a circus after a stereotype?” Jack voices, plopping down loudly by Maddie’s side.

 

“As I was saying, Some might call this little act of rebellion a cry for attention, but I call it a cry for detention.” She chuckles. “Isn’t that clever!” Principal Ishiyama smiles as if amused with herself.

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Mrs. Manson crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“Nice job Danny. Maybe I should have cried “Hey, It’s Inviso-Bill!” Sam mocks Danny quietly, while both their parents are deep in conversation with the principal.

 

“I’m sorry!” Danny frowns. “I don’t know what came over me back there.” And it was true, he didn’t. All he knew was that he couldn’t overpower it enough to have his own free will.

 

“Bad Judgment that’s what!” Danny was ripped from his thoughts when his dad’s voice nearly shattered his ear drums. “Next time, think before you act!” Jack stands, finger pointed to the sky, before he rests his hand at his hip where the forgotten ecto-plasmic gun goes off, firing ecto goo all over the Mansons.

 

“Obviously...the apple doesn’t fall far from the overbearing, orange-jump suited tree!” Mrs. Manson spat.

 

“YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH JUMPSUITS?!” Jack hollers.

 

“Jack...let me handle this.” Maddie sing-songs, a gentle hand resting on Jack’s shoulder, before turning to the Mansons with her dead-serious expression. “YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH JUMPSUITS?!”

 

Mrs. Manson gasps at the indecency. “Samantha, I forbid you from seeing this boy or any of your other troubled friends.” Mrs. Manson orders, wiping goo off her arm.

 

“My friends are perfectly normal!” Sam argues, standing from her seat.

 

The sound of the door opening rapidly was enough to turn heads. In came Mr. Lancer with Tucker, dressed in drag as Sam.

 

“This is so wrong.” Principal Ishiyama instantly averts her gaze from the monstrosity. Mrs. Manson raises a brow at her daughter. “I believe we’re done here Mr. and Mrs. Manson, Fentons. I hope I’ll be seeing you two in detention tomorrow.” Principal Ishiyama points two fingers at the pair.

 

Sam gives Danny a disappointed look and storms past him, out of the office.

 

“Wait, Sam!” Danny chases after her. “Sam...Hold up!” He reaches out for Sam’s wrist but she’s too fast. Instead, she side steps him and turns to look at him as he trips over his feet, miserably.

 

“Danny, I’m really bummed.” She sighs, planting herself against a few lockers.

 

“You have to believe me then. It’s not like I actually wanted that to happen Sam.”

 

“Yeah? Well I’m not sure if I can Danny. That wasn’t cool.” Sam tugs at Danny’s spray painted black shirt. “You’ve been doing a whole bunch of weird things lately. You know that if something’s going on with you, you can talk to me Danny.”

 

Danny frowned at this. There must have been something wrong, but there was no way of telling. Sam was right with one thing, he had been acting different, but Danny couldn’t quite pin a finger to it. There were parts of him that knew that some of those things were wrong, but at the same time, he couldn’t recall doing or saying a lot of things that he did; like a fragment of himself was blurred out.

 

“I don’t know what’s wrong Sam. But one thing’s for sure, I can’t let it get any worse.”

 

“I’ll see you later Danny.” Since the school day had just come to an end, Sam turns on her heels and trudges out of the school, leaving Danny to his thoughts.

 

The next day, however, Danny felt more like himself, but he was still angry at himself for betraying Sam the way he did. There was more than a fifty percent chance that they could have walked away quietly, but he had to be the idiot to run his mouth and show off. With a sigh, Danny walked into the library.

 

“Danny.”

 

“Tuck?” Danny shook his head and looked over at his best friend. “You’re here too?”

 

“Unfortunately, but hey! You and Sam are here so it shouldn’t be too bad. Come on!” Tucker walked into the library with such a bounce, it almost has Danny thinking positively about their detention.

 

“Fenton, Foley! How lovely of you to join us.” Lancer spits.

 

“On second thought…” Tucker trails off.

 

Danny takes his seat by both of his best friends and listens aimlessly as Lancer went on and on about his life endeavors. At this rate, it felt as if they were never going to get out of this alive.

 

“Ugh.” Sam lifted the Circus Gothica tickets up to eyes length. “I wanted to experience something horrific and unimaginable.” She pauses, watching Lancer, as he continues to blabber on and clip his toe nails. “This isn’t what I had in mind.” She sighs.

 

“We can always go to the circus tomorrow. That is, assuming we’re not grounded and your parents let me within two-hundred feet of you.” Danny steals a glance at Tucker who has a book propped up to hide his PDA.

 

Danny shakes his head. ‘Typical Tuck’. Danny wants to say something to Sam, but he’s stopped dead in his tracks when he hears Freakshow’s voice coming from the PDA.

 

“Creatures of the night! Unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica.” The mesmerizing voice catches Danny’s attention more than it should, and with just a glimpse, Danny is taken fully under Freakshow’s control.

 

“Unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica…” Danny stands abruptly and heads for the library doors.

 

“And just where do you think you’re going Mr. Fenton?” Lancer rests his hand on the door, preventing Danny from going any further.

 

Danny grins, the emerald of his iris’ turning a bloody ruby tint. He phases and jumps into Lancer’s body. “Unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica.” Both Sam and Tucker watch Danny in shock as Lancer’s body - now being overthrown by Danny - as it wrenched and curled as it walked over to the nearest janitor's closet.

 

Danny reappears outside of the closet and locks the door at once.

 

“Cask of Amontillado!” Lancer bangs heavily on the door. “Let me out! Let me out!”

 

“Danny! What are you doing? We’re already in too much trouble as it is?” Sam had somehow already made her way over to Danny.

 

“No such thing as too much trouble.” The sinister tone in Danny’s voice sent chills down Sam’s spine. “Unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica.” With the same smirk she’d seen moments ago, Danny floats through the air and phases through the ceiling.

 

“Man. We better follow him.” Tucker suggests.

 

Sam narrows her eyes. “Oh no! But that would mean skipping detention and going to the circus!” She answers sarcastically.

 

When tucker doesn’t reply Sam hunches over slightly.

 

“Hello. Irony?” Sam reaches out for the collar of Tucker's shirt and pulls him out of the library.

 

It took Sam and Tucker far too long to reach the grounds that Circus Gothica were on. Tucker was heaving and begging for Sam to slow down so he could catch his breath.

 

“There's no time for that Tucker, we need to make sure Danny’s okay.”

 

“Sam...Danny can take care of himself. My lungs are on the verge of exploding...take a break!” Tucker doubles over.

 

With no other choice, Sam is forced to stop. She looks up into the sky while Tucker starts talking to her about god knows what. Sam can almost swear she’d seen something in the sky.

 

“Tuck, there isn’t much more time. The show is going to start in ten minutes.” Sam forces her focus back to getting to the Circus.

 

“Go on ahead...I’ll catch up.” Tucker utters.

 

As soon as the words processed, Sam took off without another word. For the first time, in a long time Sam could feel a change in the air. He bones ached and her form quivered. Something was definitely wrong.

 

In mere minutes Sam reached the tent, and although she was tempted to wait for Tucker, she went on ahead to get them both good seats as well as look around for Danny in the process. When she was unsuccessful, she settled for a set of seats with a good view. With prompt timing, Tucker called out to her.

 

“Sam!”

 

“Over here, Tucker.” Sam waved her arms about.

 

“Any luck finding Danny?” Tucker took a long needed break.

 

“Not at all.” Sam frowned. “And the performer is about to start.”

 

“Any idea who these people are?” Tucker leans forward, watching as the next act was being prepared.

 

“Nope.” Sam outed flatly, all lights dimming and circling onto Freakshow who was presented at the center of the ring.

 

“Please welcome a performer who puts the “death” in “death-defying acts,” The smirk on Freakshow’s face was enough to shake the crowd.

 

Sam and Tucker switched expressions. A look of absolute terror took over their features as the act was presented.

 

“The grim reaper himself!” Freakshow exclaimed, gesturing toward the high wire.

 

A hooded figure holding a scythe shone itself to the public. It was nothing like they had ever seen. In fact, this “grim reaper” was the first they had ever heard of in relativity to the circus.

 

The figure glides across the wire, making the crowd around Sam and Tucker gasp. Its then that they get a glimpse at the silver hair beneath the cloak. The figure balances the scythe onto the wire and lifts himself off of the wire himself. He balances himself on the scythe with precision and the crowd erupts with cheers.

  
Sam and Tucker share a glance and hurry out of their seats.


	3. Control Freak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam finds out what is happening to Danny and needs Tucker's help to get to him.

“Tucker! This _can not_ be happening.”

“I know! Did you see those sick moves? I didn’t know Danny could do something like that!”

“Tucker! Snap out of it, something is wrong with Danny, no doubt! There’s no way he’d come out here without telling us he had an act in the circus. I’ve got to find out what’s wrong with him.” Sam grips onto Tucker’s shoulder, hoping he’d realize that something was definitely wrong with their best friend.

“I guess you’re right…but then again-“

“Shut it Tucker. We need to look around, find some solid evidence. Are you with me.”

“Sure thing Sam.” Tucker pauses. “I guess we should split up then, to cover more ground.”

“That-a-Boy, tucker.” Sam hollers as she runs off toward the circus train and tents around back.

It does not take Sam long to find the tent for ‘Cast Only’. Without thinking she pushes through the heavy, goth purple flaps to get in. What she sees doesn’t frighten her, but what she hears does.

“What are you doing back here?”

Sam wasn’t afraid of Freakshow. She isn’t afraid of anything, really. But she was worried for her friend, and by golly, if Freakshow had taken part in what Danny was becoming, he was an enemy that needed to be dealt with, a strong one at it.

“woah! Freakshow! This is so cool!...” Sam took a deep breath. “Focus…Uhm, I’m looking for a friend of mine who was acting kind of weird.” Sam went for a straight forward approach, hoping to buy her time, and an answer if there was any.

“Oh, well that narrows it down to, oh.” Freakshow leans down, closely to Sam’s face. “Everybody in this tent! HA-HA!” He goes as far as to laugh in her face.

However, his attention shoots elsewhere when a hooded figure shows itself in the near distance.

“What are you doing dolt?!” His voice takes on a new kind of anger. “Get back out there, and do your encore!” He orders.

Within a heartbeat, the hooded man pulls his hood down, and Sam stands shocked at who it was.

‘ _Danny_.’ Her mind shouts.

“Sam?” Danny moves forward.

“What’s that? Was that – “ Freakshow pauses, looking back and forth at the two once before he continues, “Was that free will?! Obey me, minion!” He raises his staff and it begins to glow the sickly red it had done previous times.

Danny has no fight in him, his eyes lock onto the orb, and his eyes look glassy.

“What?! You’re controlling him?” Sam shakes her head.

“Get her.” Freakshow growls.

For a second Sam hopes that Danny can get a grip of himself.

_‘He’d never hurt me…right?’_

 Sam takes a good look at Danny, the glossiness in his eyes settle, and his iris’ glow almost the exact hue of the orb. This time, Sam knows that Danny isn’t going to save her. He raises the hood back over his head and begins to advance toward her.

Danny raises the scythe and swings at her. In this moment, Sam doesn’t know what to think, or what to say. Her hands come up to shield her, but that’s all she can fathom apart from a terrifying scream. The world around her goes black, but she feels no pain. It’s like her mind is still there, but her vision and vocalization have been taken from her. She can hear clearly, but her mind is going to Tucker. He was the only one left that could do something about it.

Somebody grabs at her roughly, and Sam refuses to think that it’s Danny. Her point is only proved when she’s pushed against a stature, not much taller than hers. His hands on her wrists, they’re none other than Danny’s. Sam knows the size of Danny’s hands, from the many time’s he’s pulled her out of trouble. As weird as it had sounded, she’d memorized the fabric of his ghostly gloves.

Sam doesn’t know where she is now. A second ago she could still hear the crowds of people, and despite how fast Danny could fly, she knew that she wasn’t far from Freakshow and his gang. He had finally placed her down, but he kept a hand at her shoulder. Firm, and making sure she didn’t move an inch.

_‘Danny would never put me in harm’s way, would he?’_ She thought.

Sam then hears a tremendously large clicking sound, and then Freakshows voice to follow it. She knew right where she was.

“Ladies and Gentleman, Goths alike, Please welcome a brand new vict-“ He catches himself. Sam can almost hear the smirk in his words. “Talent to the high wire in her first…and final…performance.”

Sam cringes at how menacing his words were, but she doesn’t think on it too much, as she’s already pushed to her death. She struggles as she cannot see, but not to fear. Sam hears the slicing of the scythe behind her and she sees her doom before her.

_‘How could you…?’_ She thinks.

Her gaze shifts to the ground, and she begins to loose her balance. Her arms flail in every which way, whatever it took to help her gain her balance on the thin wire beneath her feet. The crowd begins to scream, they don’t have a problem with this because they think it’s all an act. Her fear, and how raw she was had proved to be entertaining to them all.

Sam spots Tucker through the midst of it, even see’s his mouth saying her name, but she can’t put her attention on him, she needs to reason with Danny.

Danny is standing right where she’d felt him when they first got up there. “Danny, please. You don’t want to do this! You are being controlled.”

It’s like the words do nothing against Danny. He’s not affected in the slightest. He continues to swing the scythe right at his feet, where the wire sits. His piercing laughter makes its way to her ears, and she’s scared that it will be the last thing she hears. That he’ll be the last one she sees. But it’s not him. It’s an evil version of him.

Defeated, Sam gives in, she lets herself fall with a shriek.  Nobody could save her, and nobody was going to save her. Sam shuts her eyes, waiting to meet the ground.

But it never comes.  Instead, those gentle, warm arms have caught her yet again. Slowly, Sam opens her eyes, and this time, its Danny. Not the evil version of him. He sets her down, his hand shoots up to his forehead.

“Danny…” She whispers. “Don’t scare me like that.” Her eyes down cast for a moment.

Sam had been caught up in death, that she hadn’t realized Freakshow was already on top of them. Scepter in hand, and poised where Danny could see it. Sam sees the flicker in his eyes as they open and he leans in close to her, the same way Freakshow had before all this mess.

“How should I scare you?”  and as if he was being controlled, his face falls free of any emotion and he steps aside to reveal his master, Freakshow.

Each step is tantalizing. “Consider this a warning girl.” He looks down at her with fierce anger and frustration before he walks off with Danny already having disappeared.

“Jeez, Sam! You nearly gave me a heart-attack! Can we take time off from your goth-a-palooza and actually look for Danny?” That was something Sam wanted to avoid. She remembers that she was the only one Danny had revealed himself to.

Sam turns  to Tucker harshly, her hands fly into the air in frustration. “That was Danny, under the hood! Freakshow’s controlling him with some kind of crystal ball! C’mon.”She takes a running start, and she’s sure Tucker’s following her, so she doesn’t stop.

Upon running out of the circus tent, they run right out into a mob of parents striking against the circus. Among them, her parents.

“Crap.” She hisses, stopping short of them.

“Sam, shouldn’t you be in detention?” the look on her mother’s face is apparent.

“Uhm, Lancer let us out?” Sam reasons, trying to sound as convincing as she can.

“Are we late for the protest?” Maddie’s soft, and graceful voice asks.

Sam looks to the right of her parents.

_‘Great, just great.’_ She sighs.

“I brought the Fenton Riot Gear.” Jack boasts.

As he shows off, the gun goes off, hitting Sam’s parents sign right dead center. Mrs. Manson glares at her husband knowingly, and he shrugs.

“What? I didn’t invite them.” He tries to cool over.

Sam feels like she’s already been noticed enough today, but Jack keeps going on. “Hey! Isn’t Danny supposed to be with you?”

Mrs. Manson takes a piece of paper from the pocket of her dress and stands between the pair. “Not according to this restraining order, he’s not.”

Maddie looks taken aback at this additional information. “Well he’s not here, and he’s not in school, so where is he?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, please stick with me, we're almost at the real part of the story that isn't going to be taken from the show. Think of this as filler or in-depth thoughts that the characters had throughout the episode c: 
> 
> I don't own anything danny phantom, even though I wish I did (;


	4. Troubling Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is wreaking havoc across the city of Amity park.   
> It's up to Sam and Tucker to find a way to help, otherwise, nobody else will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but the journey continues!  
> Again, A LOT like the actual episode, but we're approaching the really good stuff soon!  
> So keep reading~

The museum alarm could probably be heard from blocks away, but that’s the least of the worries here. A handful of freakshow’s goons phase out of the museum, carrying loads of treasures in their arms. Behind them, Danny comes through. His hands are glowing with ecto-plasmic blasts ready to be fired. The gold medallion hanging off his neck gleams in the moonlight as he moves to ready his hands. 

 

“Ecto-butt’s in gear.” Danny says, his new, red eyes showing now sign of mercy as he blasts each ghost in their rear. Danny doesn’t even wince when they cry out in pain. He’s actually quite proud to see them finally get off their lazy butts as they zoom out of view. With a sly grin, Danny opens his mouth to speak again. “The party is just getting started.” 

 

Just as Danny begins to fly after the ghosts, he’s suddenly bothered by the blaring sound of sirens. “Oh please!” He has to stop himself from laughing, fingers glowing with ecto-plasma. It only takes a quick moment to aim for the tires and fire successfully. 

 

\- o -

 

_ “In the wake of parental protest, Circus Gothica ringmaster, Freakshow had this challenge to his critics:...” _

 

The camera switches video to a live recording of Freakshow, standing in front of the angry mob of parents. 

 

_ “I invite you to attend a free performance for parents, police, and concerned authority figures. See the show and see for yourselves that we’re harmless entertainment.” _

 

As he finishes, the video cuts back to the reporter.  _ “And in other news, police got a break in the recent rash of mysterious burglaries as security cam footage revealed the ghostly culprits.”  _

 

The video cuts once more to the security camera footage in front of the safe. It’s clear as day who the culprits were, as Freakshow’s ghosts fly on camera, along with a familiar, yet unbelievable sight. Sam is blown away to see her best friend flying out behind those goons with bags of money. 

 

Very well aware of the camera, Danny flies toward it with a sinister grin and blasts the camera. As the video statics, Sam can’t even bring herself to listen to what else the news reporter has to say. 

 

She gives it a few moments before she shuts it off. As if he had been right on cue, Tucker’s face pops up on her computer screen. 

 

“Sam, didja catch the news? We’ve got to do something to save danny!”

 

“How ironic is it that i’m stuck under house-arrest while my parents go to a free Circus Gothica show?!” Sam answers, quite annoyed with her situation. 

 

“Only slightly less ironic than the fact that they were right about it being evil.”

 

Sam narrows her gaze, as she looks away from her screen. “Tuck. We need to go check this out.” 

 

“”Meet you there.” Tucker agrees. 

 

Sam shuts off her computer and pulls a rope ladder out from under her bed. Without a second thought she moves toward her window and throws it out, securing the ends before she throws a leg out the window. Sam makes her way out of the window and down to the ground.  So sure that she’s home free, she turns and begins to jog at a steady pace, but stops short before running into her grandmother. 

 

“And where do you think you’re going boobla?” Sam’s grandma asks.

 

“You don’t understand grandma! My friends in trouble, and if I don’t do something right away--”

 

Before Sam is able to finish, her grandma cuts her off. “Ya know, I had a wild streak when I was your age.” She states, pulling out a photo album from one of the pouches on her scooter. Grandma Manson opens the book to a picture back from her younger days. It was a photo Sam had never seen before. 

 

In the photo, her grandma appeared to be around the age she was now. Of course, like her grandmother was now, the picture showed her in a scooter. All at once, Sam wonders why her grandmother is showing her this. “Why are you showing me this?”

 

Now having turned the photo album back to her own viewing pleasure, Grandma Manson shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe I’m old and babbling, or maybe you should sneak out and help your friend while i’m lost in my memories.” She hints. 

 

To this, Sam smiles warmly at her grandmother and places a kiss on her forehead. Seizing the moment, Sam runs off toward the meeting place she and Tucker had decided on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter!   
> Feel free to leave comments/feedback~  
> Anything is appreciated (:


	5. Nothing You Can't Fix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last ditch effort to save Danny.

Sam arrives at the groundsite of Circus Gothica before Tucker, or so she assumes. She’s entirely unaware of the shadow that’s been following her until it shows itself against one of the train carts. Startled, she stumbles where she stands but knows well enough that she needs to hide. She scrambles onto the ground and hides under the train car as quickly as she can, whilst keeping her eyes out for whoever is headed her way. 

 

Most of her vision is cut off, so she’s only aware of feet. When they approach her, she can almost feel the anxiety working it’s way over her entire body, but when the voice calls out to her she is instantly relieved. “Sam?”

 

“Tucker?” 

 

Tucker ducks down to get a better look at where Sam’s voice is coming from. “Hey Sam. Is this a great Circus Gothica hat, or what?” He asks whilst pointing a finger to the bat on the baret. 

 

Slightly infuriated, Sam gets out from under the train cart and slaps the bat off of Tuckers head. 

 

“I’ll take that as an “or what””.

 

Sam sighs. “Come on.” 

 

The two climb up the side of the train cart and make it to the top in due time. They pull the hatch open and make their way into the caboose. Sam makes it in smoothly, meanwhile, Tuckers land is cushioned by a pile of gold, jewelry, money, paintings, and so much more that Sam nor Tucker can take it all in fast enough. However, one thing that they spot, and can’t take their eyes from is Freakshows staff. 

 

“There’s the crystal ball! Let’s grab it and--”

 

Sam and Tucker are blasted off of the caboose in one swift second. The pair land outside of the caboose, roughly. They aren’t very surprised to see who was responsible for it, but their hearts ache seeing him like this. 

 

Danny emerges from the caboose, alongside Freakshow who now has his staff in hand. There’s no time to think as the train begins to pull away from them. 

 

“Danny! No!” Sam yells out, willing herself to stand. 

 

Upon seeing so, Tucker stands as well, making a run toward the train the same way Sam has already done. 

 

Freakshow grins. The sight is amusing to him. “Yes, yes, please scream. A shame anyone who might help you is busy enjoying my free show. Haaah!” 

 

As the train pushes onward, Sam and Tucker try their best to keep up. “Sam! The overpass!” Tucker points out. 

 

“Right!” 

 

The two of them break off in the middle, heading for the ramp that lead them to the top of the overpass. They meet back up in the center of the overpass, overlooking the train. 

 

“We’re going to have to jump.” Sam says. 

 

“Are you crazy?” Tucker eyes Sam. “I can’t jump.” 

 

Sam looks back at Tucker with pleading eyes. “And I can’t abandon Danny.”

 

An understanding ripples through tucker as he gives his friend a nod. ‘For Danny’ He thinks. So with a sigh, he gets up on the railing, and holds a hand out for Sam. She takes his hand and gets up on the railing beside him. They reach a mutual, mental timing and jump off together, landing on the train with an, “Oof.” 

 

“Plus, I’ll never hear the end of it if my parents learn they’re right about him being evil.” Sam adds, as a matter of fact.

 

Noting that they are still, definitely alive and well, Tucker starts to stand. He offers a hand to Sam, who takes it, pulling herself up. 

 

“Come on. We don’t have a lot of time.” Tucker encourages, taking a hold of Sam’s hand to ease her into a running state. 

 

At some point, he’s not sure when, he lets her hand go as they approach the front of the train. Of course, it’s never as easy as that though. 

 

Before them, Freakshow’s ghosts phase through the train to meet them. Behind them, Sam and Tucker catch sight of their friend...or what’s left of him anyway. 

 

Sam has grown absolutely sick with the menacing look on Danny’s features. She can’t see a single sliver of hope within him, and the thought of it scares her more than she’s willing to say. 

 

She steps forward on a shaky leg that she’s frightened will give out on her at any moment. “Danny, it’s us, Sam and Tucker! Your best friends, remember?!” She tries. 

 

For a second, Sam and Tucker can see the conflict within him. Danny blinks his eyes, once, twice. The pain of memories flooding back to him hurt. “Tucker? Sam? I…I…”

 

Knowing the fact that they’re reaching him through all of the brain washing, Sam and Tucker smile, hopefully. 

 

“I…” Danny shudders roughly, fighting the demons within his own mind. But, the battle is lost. When Danny opens his eyes, they’re the same beating red, oozing with hatred and evil. “Am a...ghost. I have no friends.” And Danny had said it so confidently, so sure that he was truly alone. 

 

At the sight, Sam feels her heart cringe. It takes all she can muster to stay standing. She cannot give up on him, no matter what the costs are. 

 

Sam is only brought aware of Freakshow sudden appearance as he speaks. “Don’t waste your breath, children. He’s under my control now.” She had neglected knowing the exact moment he’d shown himself, whilst she’d been trying to brainstorm a new way to get them out of this situation. 

 

“Don’t just stand there, finish them!” Freakshow screeches at his minions, utterly disgusted with the gimmicks of his controlling staff. Normally, they should have been doing the dirty work even without his order, yet here they’d been, just standing around. 

 

However, a smug look comes across Tucker, realizing the struggle Freakshow is having. He planned to offer some sort of solution that’d end up in his and Sam’s favor.  “Maybe you should try holding that thing up a little higher.” He grins, knowing well, that Freakshow would do as he suggested. 

 

Fiercely, Freakshow holds the staff up higher, only to lose it as it hits the scaffold. Tucker makes way to grab at it, but misses it by a long shot. Truth be told, Tucker had known he was never good at any sort of physical activity. Reaching out for it himself wasn’t the smartest plan, but he has hope when he turns to see Danny, with the scepter in hand. ‘Here’s our chance’ He thinks, turning to catch Sam’s eye for a brief moment.

 

“Way to go man!” Standing now only a few feet away from Danny, Tucker walks over to him, hand raised. “Now gimme five!”

 

With the same sinister look on his face, Danny raises a hand to give tucker a high five, with an added perk. His hands glow with ecto-plasmic energy that blast Tucker away into the largest ghost. Seeing the act play out before him, Freakshow finds himself pleased as the large ghost captures Tucker easily. 

 

“Very good, drone.” Freakshow grins. “Now bring me my staff. Come on, Bring it.” 

 

A rage boils down somewhere inside Sam as she sees the way Freakshow speaks to her best friend. What’s worse is that she can see the struggle all over Danny’s face. He’s always been the type to do good, no matter how it would affect him, personally. Sam knew Danny,  _ her _ Danny was in there somewhere, watching all of this and damning himself. 

 

Danny watches the staff with uncertainty. Sam takes her chance to speak her peace. “Fight it, Danny! He’s not holding the crystal ball anymore, you are!” 

 

Angrily, Freakshow grabs hold of Sams shoulders and pushes her toward the edge of the train. “Silence!” He shrills. “Obey me ghost! Give me my staff. Come on.” 

 

Struggling to catch her own balance, Sam looks at her best friend. Her words had reached him, she knew it by the look of fickleness on him. 

 

Sam tries again. If there was a chance she could get him back, she was going to take it, as many times as it will be offered. “I saw you up on that highwire, you were fighting him the whole time!” And he had been. “Fight him now, Danny! You’re not just a ghost!” She wanted to say that he was Danny, the Danny who’d cared for the well-being of his friends and family, and for the people of Amity Park. Most importantly the Danny she’s fallen for. But she doesn’t. She concludes with, “Fight him!” 

 

Danny is stricken with frustration, as he reaches into his silver locks. He shuts his eyes tight, trying to keep everything together. “Quiet! All of you! I need to think!” 

 

“Stop her, now!” Freakshow orders. 

 

“It’s the crystal ball or your friends, Danny, your choice!” Seeing how close the other ghosts had been getting to her, Sam starts backing away, until she’s too close to the edge, and slips off the edge. 

 

Still, if there was one thing in her favor, it was that she wasn’t going to be hitting the hard, cold, ground. The train was on a bridge, passing over a gorge below. There was a slight chance she would hit the river, and survive with little to no damage. And yet, there was still a chance she’d get hurt in one way or another. Her last words before falling to her fate were however, “I didn’t mean that to be so literal!” 

 

Terrified as she races toward the river, Sam lets out a scream. If whatever she’d said up there hadn’t reached Danny, this was it. Aside from the adrenaline and racing wind around her, she was heading toward the river very fast, and with each second she descended, the more she lost hope. 

 

Having seen the girl he’d denied his feeling for so long fall over like that was enough to bring him to. Without a second though, Danny races after her, jumping off the train and releasing Freakshow’s staff in the process. 

 

Going as fast as his ghostly speed would allow him to, Danny reached sam with a few moments to spare her from reaching the river. He takes all of her weight into his arms and whisks her away from the river. There's something inside of him that suddenly feels free, yet tired. He gives a sigh of relief.

 

“Danny..Are you okay?” 

 

He takes the time to look down at Sam, in his arms, like it was the first time he’d seen her in the longest time. 

 

Danny takes a second to think. “I think so. It’s all a blur. I did some bad stuff, didn’t I?”

 

“Nothing you can’t fix.” Sam smiles warm heartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, none of the content is mine...yet. *wink wonk*
> 
> Yet, here is where we've reached the end of the recap. Next chapter is definitely deriving off of what just happened.   
> Stay tuned~
> 
> Original content, starts here! :D


	6. Something's Not Entirely Right.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has some issues but maybe something like the Debutante Ball can distract him.  
> Maybe? Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrightttt Here we go with the original content~  
> Hope you enjoy.

For the most part, Danny had fixed those things he had ruined. But there were things that still lingered. Something inside of him had changed after Freakshow was allegedly taken away, into custody. It had been like an entire part of him had been taken away, while another part of him was more than happy to have the chance to clear his name.

Although it had been reported on briefly that this “inviso-bill” figure had been brainwashed, there were always those groups of people who just wanted to blame him for what he’d done to the city. All Danny ever wanted to do was to help the people of Amity Park. So, to have gotten through all of it with the dirty streak. Well, that really put all of Danny’s efforts into the trash. As much as he wanted to forget that it all happened, that wasn’t the case.

There were things happening to him, things that he had no confidence to tell his friends about. Like, the way he had been waking up in the middle of the night with the same nightmare of Freakshow’s scepter. Or the random instances in the daytime when he spaces out, more so than he usually did. Thinking about all those feelings he’d had whilst under Freakshow’s control. Most of which had been feelings of contentment, and all the adrenaline rushes he’d had too. You can’t forget that.

His body, it wasn’t the same either. The weeks that followed Freakshow’s arrest, Danny had felt the soreness in his body like a bed of rocks, pinning him down wherever he sat or lay. It’s like he was never getting a break from that damned traumatic event.

It’s been several months now, since Danny had last seen Freakshow, too. Yet, he’s here, tearing himself apart in the solitude of his mind. Yes, Danny still fought ghosts. Yes, Danny still went to school. Yes, he still spent time with his friends. But not even the little things could amaze him like they used to. He hated feeling like this. Like he’d outgrown his own friends because he’d gone through something they’d never understand.  

“Danny? Hello, earth to Danny?” Tucker waves his hand in front of Danny’s face.

“Whoa. Sorry Tuck, I guess I was just--”

“Spacing out again.” Tucker finishes. “Man, that’s the fifth time today, what is up with you?” And it’s followed by a frown. By now, Danny knows this is not alright.

“Right...Sorry.” Danny frowns, running a tense hand through his hair. He’d trying to come up with something to say, anything really. But nothing sounds good enough in his head.

Tucker opens his mouth to speak, but before he could get anything out, Sam barges into Danny’s room, with quite a few things to say. “Guys, emergency. My mom wants me to go to a ball. I mean, doesn’t she know how crazy that idea is?”

Danny and Tucker look at each other as Sam continues to pace the room, rambling on about how lame it was to have to go to a ball.

“Sam, calm down.” Danny stands from his bed, placing a hand on Sam’s shoulder to stop her from her pacing about. Danny looks into Sam’s eyes, he’s ready to say something that finally sounds like a sliver of his former self, but yet again, is interrupted by his best friend.

“I’ve got it, that’s it!” Sam exclaims, fist riding down onto her palm. “Danny, Tucker, why don’t you go with me?”

“Huh?” Both Tucker and Danny say simultaneously, they exchange looks before their gaze lands back on their female friend.

“Yes. Come with me.” Sam looks from one of her friends to the other. “It’ll be a whole lot more fun with you two around.” She rests one hand on Tuckers shoulder and the other on Danny’s. “Besides, my parents won’t say no, they really want me there for a reason that i’m not going to ask about. So it’s not like they can’t deny me the one condition of bringing you two with me. Even if they do...sort of...well, mostly hate the two of you.” Sam boasts, with a wide grin. “What do you say?”

Tucker and Danny look at each other. It’s like for the first time in a long time, they are actually thinking the same thing. With a sigh, the two answer unanimously. “Fine.”

And that’s how they end up being Sam’s dates to the Debutante Ball. It’s also one of the days that Danny feels the most like himself. So, without hesitations he decides to go entirely out of his way to look decent for Sam. He’d found it weird that even though all of that stuff happened with Freakshow, she was still around. Not as much as he’d like, but she was there for him. More than Tucker had been.

Danny felt like he could talk to Sam without her feeling sorry for him. Of course, there were still a few things he didn’t tell her, but it didn’t outnumber what he would tell her.

The doorbell rings, and after a few moments he can hear his mother calling. “Danny, Sam and Tucker are here.”

“Almost finished!” Danny dips his head out of his door frame as he calls out to his mom, before walking across the room to the brand new body mirror his mother had gotten him this past week.

Danny takes one look at himself and smiles genuinely. It had been a while since he was able to look at himself and appreciate his efforts. The moment was short lived as his hand shoots up to the sharp pain coming from his mind. His hand grips at a chunk of his hair as he hunches over in agony. It’s another one of those visions that have started up.

Whatever Freakshow had done to him, it was not funny. It was starting to hinder every waking part of Danny’s life, and it was harder to control when he went ghost. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he was going to be able to handle either. Let alone, if he was strong enough to tell anybody about what was happening to him. It was as if he had been deteriorating.

Maybe that was the part of him that he felt was missing. The good parts. The parts that had been him before the whole incident had happened. Danny growls. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” He yells, throwing his hands to his side, as he straightens up again. His eyes open and for the briefest moment he could have sworn those red eyes had been looking back at him. “Oh no…” He gasps, stepping away to clear his thoughts.

When he looks back into the mirror, he can’t see anything else but those dazzling blue eyes of his.

“Hey Dan- Whoa. Danny.” Danny turns to look at Sam. “You look great, Danny.”

“I could, uh, say the same thing to you.” Danny responds, rather sheepishly.

Sam was flushed, but it’s not like Danny had noticed in the slightest. He’d been taken back by her choice in formal wear.

There he was in a a royal purple colored dress shirt, black slacks, and black overcoat. But she was standing there in a royal purple skirts, with a a black corset. Leave it to Sam to wear fishnets and her combat boots, but she still looked stunning. At a moment like this, he didn’t even remember a girl like Paulina existed.

Noting how absent minded Danny looked, Sam spoke again. “Are you, uh, ready to go?”

“Uhm, right. Yeah. I mean, yes. I’m ready to go.” Danny answers, as calmly as he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I do not own Danny Phantom or its characters.  
> \--  
> A flustered Danny is always a Fun Danny~  
> On the flip side, How was the first original content of the story?  
> Give me some feedback in the comment section below and I'll be back with a chapter real soon c:  
> Thank you & Bye-Bye~


End file.
